Never Say Never
by Coeus
Summary: Beastboy, hoping she was mostly over her previous anger, spoke in a teasing voice. “You know what they say, Rae, 'Never say never'. Who knows, I might come up with a totally brilliant plan just to prove you wrong.”
1. A Challenge

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Teen Titans.

**Never Say Never**

**Chapter 1: A Challenge**

_Monday, July 17, 2006_

_2:21 p.m._

Raven stormed out of the restaurant and into the bright sunshine, striding angrily down the hot sidewalk without even a glance back. Swiftly exiting behind and following her were the rest of the Titans. Cyborg and Robin endeavored to contain their laughter as they walked, but their mirth was obvious in the snickers and chuckles that escaped them. Starfire watched on worriedly, concerned for her teammate. Beastboy hurriedly tried to catch up to Raven, waving his arms and doing his best to explain.

"Aw, c'mon, Raven, I said I was sorry. It wasn't even really my fault!"

Raven spun furiously on her heel to face the changeling, bringing the entire group to an abrupt halt. "Not your fault! Tell me, Beastboy, how exactly is you dumping an entire glass of sticky, ice cold soda on me **not **your fault?"

All the Titans looked to Beastboy as he fumbled for an answer. "Well, uh, it just sorta, ya know, happened. Um, I mean... it just... ok, really, whose idea was it to leave an apricot there? And I swear, that poodle came totally out of nowhere! It coulda happened to anyone. Honest!"

Raven took two steps towards him, pinning him with an icy glare and speaking through gritted teeth. "No, this could **not** have happened to anyone. Only you. This kind of stuff **only** happens to you!"

Beastboy gave a nervous chuckle as he leaned away from the irate empath. "Heh, so we both agree that I'm the victim here, right?"

With grinding teeth and a sound resonating deep from her throat that could only be called a growl, Raven spun around and continued her angry traverse towards the Tower, oblivious to the beautifully warm summer day around her.

Before Beastboy could follow, he was stopped by the voice of Starfire. "Perhaps you should allow her to do the cooling off."

Robin stepped up next to the changeling. "Starfire's right. Raven is pretty ticked right now. Give her a little space."

Beastboy looked from the angry half demon walking away to his other friends and grudgingly complied. "Fine."

After allowing Raven to get a bit ahead, the rest of the Titan's began walking again. Beastboy trudged along, his hands shoved into his pockets, and said in a sulky voice, "I don't know what she's so mad about. It's not like I did it on purpose."

Cyborg laid a comforting hand on the animorph's shoulder. "Yeah, we know. But you gotta admit, BB, it does seem like the weird stuff always happens to you."

Beastboy looked up incredulously, pointing at each of his friends in turn. "Um, hellooo? Alien, half-demon, Batman wannabe," Robin's splutters of protest were ignored as Beastboy continued, "half-robot, and green dude with fangs. 5 teenage super heroes who wear costumes and live in a giant T and fight totally whacked out bad guys is not exactly normal."

Cyborg waved all that away with his free hand as the group continued to trail Raven down the street. "Yeah, yeah, all that's not normal. But the really weird stuff always happens to you."

"What are you talking about, Cy?"

Starfire spoke up. "Perhaps he is referring to being mistaken for the canine of a large but juvenile alien, and being kidnapped by him to be his pet."

Beastboy tried to respond to this, but was cut off by Cyborg. "Yeah, that. Or maybe the fact that you just happened to get a part-time job at the headquarters of evil, alien, space tofu bent on world domination."

Robin, still obviously miffed about the Batman comment, brought out the trump card. "And who can ever forget about the sporks incident last year?"

Beastboy darkened in a blush as his three friends burst out in hilarious laughter. Quickly trying to salvage some dignity, he protested in as haughty a voice as he could muster. "No one can prove that was me. I stand by my innocence."

Finally mastering his laughter, Cyborg spoke. "Look, all we're saying is that you really do have some weird crap happen to you."

Crossing his arms, Beastboy responded, "Fine. I'm a weirdness magnet. That doesn't mean Raven has to get all pissed off when it happens. It was an accident"

Robin rubbed his chin in thought. "Well, maybe she's not really mad. It could be something else. You did dump your drink on her in the middle of a crowded restaurant. Maybe she's just embarrassed."

"Excuse me?"

All four Titan's jumped at the sound of Raven's voice from directly in front of them. None of them realized they had caught up to her, and she was now looking at the Boy Wonder with a raised eyebrow. "You were saying?"

Robin gulped nervously. "Um, that maybe you weren't..."

Raven didn't let him finish. "I heard you. And you're wrong. I am angry, not embarrassed. I don't **get** embarrassed, especially not by Beastboy."

Cyborg, an obvious note of skepticism in his voice, said, "Aw, c'mon, Raven. Everyone gets embarrassed sometimes."

Raven stubbornly shook her head. "Not me."

Starfire looked at her friend curiously. "Truly, friend Raven? You never feel the chagrin?"

"No. Never."

Beastboy, hoping she was mostly over her previous anger, spoke in a teasing voice. "You know what they say, Rae, 'Never say never'. Who knows, I might come up with a totally brilliant plan just to prove you wrong."

The harsh glare directed at the changeling and Raven's ice cold voice attested to the fact that she was, indeed, still very angry . "No, Beastboy, there **are** times when I can say never. Pigs will **never **sprout wings and fly. The sun will **never **rise in the west. I **never **get embarrassed. And **you** will **never**, **EVER** come up with anything even remotely resembling something that anyone would call a brilliant plan."

That ended the discussion. The group lapsed into an awkward silence as they continued to walk. It was several minutes later that the silence was broken and they finally turned their talk to other topics. Beastboy, however, was uncharacteristically quiet the rest of the way home.

* * *

_Monday, July 17, 2006_

_8:32 p.m._

"Oh, no, dawg, there ain't no way you're getting' away with that!" Cyborg attacked his controller with new ferocity, punching buttons at an almost blinding speed. Robin sat next to him, his intent focus obvious even through the smirk on his face.

Finally, the screen flashed "Game Over" and Robin sprang up with a yell of victory. "Yes! That's three in a row, Cy!"

Cyborg stood and pointed at the Boy Wonder in indignation. "I want a rematch!"

Robin let his controller drop to the ground with a smug grin. "Sorry, Cyborg. I'm going to go get a workout in. You should practice beating up on Beastboy for a while. Maybe then you might actually be a little bit of a challenge."

"Don't get cocky, Bird Boy. I'll get you next time."

Robin laughed as he exited the room, throwing one last taunt over his shoulder. "You just keep telling yourself that, Cyborg."

After the doors swished closed, a grumbling Cyborg turned to the rest of the room. "Yo, grass stain, you wanna..." He stopped short when he realized that the changeling wasn't there. "Hey, where's BB at?"

Raven didn't even look up from her book as she replied, "Don't know, don't care."

Starfire was only slightly more helpful. "I have not seen him for many hours. I do not even think he has been down for an evening meal."

Cyborg furrowed his brow. "That's strange. I wonder what the little guy is up to."

* * *

_Monday, July 17, 2006_

_8:44 p.m._

Beastboy slowly walked back and forth across his room, absently stepping over and around the various dirty laundry, used dishes, empty soda cans, and other refuse that littered the floor. He had long been oblivious to the disaster area he lived in. It was normal for him. The only abnormal part of his room at the moment was the fact that the surface of his desk had been completely cleared off. The only thing on it was a single sheet of paper. Scrawled across the top of it in large, underlined letters were the words "Beastboy's Top Secret Super Awesome Completely Amazing Totally Brilliant Plan To Embarrass Raven. DO NOT READ!". The rest of the paper was almost completely filled with Beastboy's messy handwriting.

He stopped pacing and took one final, long look at the paper. After leaning down to add a few last changes, he picked it up with a nod of satisfaction. Beastboy looked around his room for a moment before walking over to a particularly large pile of laundry, his free hand pinching his nose closed as he neared it. He stuffed the paper into the middle of the pile and then quickly retreated.

A sly smile spread across the changeling's face as he sat on his bed and reached for his communicator. _Time for step one._

He punched a few buttons on the communicator and waited for it to connect. The tiny screen suddenly lit up with the picture of one of the Titans East.

"Hi Beastboy. What's up?"

"Oh, nothin', nothin' at all. Hey, Speedy, you play the guitar, right?"

* * *

**A/N:** And there's the first chapter. This is going to be a goofy little story I threw together to kill a couple of hours. (Airport layover. Long enough to be really boring, not long enough to leave and do anything.) I was able to write out a complete outline of the story, finish the first chapter, and start on the second. I didn't spend a huge amount of time editing anything, either, so my apologies for any typos or spelling/grammar mistakes. Best I can tell, this will be pretty short. Not more than 4 or 5 chapters, if that many, and they won't be ridiculously long chapters (like in my last chaptered fic). They will probably be closer to the length of this chapter. 

I will try to update as quickly as possible, but I haven't really had much time to write recently. The layover was the only reason I got this much done. I do fully intend to have it finished before November 1, for reasons that should become obvious in chapter 2. Of course, my intentions tend to have absolutely no bearing on reality, so we'll see. Also, the date I list before each section becomes slightly more useful in chapter 2, as it is not the same date repeated over and over. The story will progress at uneven intervals, sometimes a day, sometimes a week, sometimes more. The date stamp is just to try and keep everything clear later on.

And to be perfectly honest, I have no idea if comic or cartoon Speedy can actually play the guitar, but he seemed as likely a candidate as anyone. Anyways, this story is going to be pretty pointless and silly (and short), but hopefully you will enjoy it. My thanks to everyone who takes the time to read it, especially to everyone that reviews. I will be sure and reply to all signed reviews.

Thanks again!

Coeus


	2. Preparations

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Teen Titans.

**Never Say Never**

**Chapter 2: Preparations**

_Tuesday, September 5, 2006_

_10:28 a.m._

"...kinda a chance for everyone to catch up, maybe introduce all the new honorary Titans, but in a totally relaxed and casual way. Anyways, why does some psycho freak gotta be threatening to, I dunno, blow up Texas or send Australia into an ice age or something before we all get together?"

Beastboy, standing in front of the giant screen in the living room, did his level best to be confident, mature, and convincing. Especially convincing. But the man on screen did nothing to indicate whether his attempts were succeeding.

The changeling had been patiently biding his time for the last few weeks, knowing that timing was absolutely critical. The beginning of September seemed perfect, so for the last several days he had been waiting for a chance to initiate Step 2. Unfortunately, it was a very rare thing for him to be alone in the Tower. Even now, Cyborg was down in the garage, presumably working on the T-car. Beastboy, thinking this might be his only opportunity before it was too late, decided that the slight risk of being caught by Cyborg was outweighed by the benefits of using the main Comm. console. This was one call he didn't want to have to make from his communicator. He needed all the credibility he could get.

Beastboy continued with his discourse, hoping it didn't sound too rehearsed, glad now that he had decided against patriotic background music. "I just think it would be a good way to make sure everybody stays acquainted, ya know? So that, when we do come across a situation where we need a little backup, when we do have to get together to stop that psycho in Texas or Australia, the person beside us isn't just some dude in a mask and a cape. He's a friend. Someone we know and trust. Someone we can count on, and someone who knows they can count on us, because frankly, when we're facing down the business end of a mad scientist's super death laser, each other is all we've got!"

Beastboy fell silent and looked up at the screen. He hoped that the small smile on the face of the broad shouldered Kryptonian was a good sign.

Superman, amusement obvious in his voice, said, "Nice speech. How long have you been working on that?"

Beastboy gave a slightly flustered chuckle as he responded, "Uh, speech? I, um, I really don't know what you mean. I was just talking, ya know, all made up, right here, on the spot."

"Right."

"No, really. It just came to me."

"Uh-huh."

Deciding it was probably a good time to change the subject Beastboy asked, "So, what do you think?"

Superman shrugged his shoulders. "Look Beastboy, if you want to have a little get-together, then do it. You don't need permission from the Justice League."

"Yeah, I know, but I was kinda hoping for a little favor, too."

Superman's smile faded slightly. "You can't have a party in the Watchtower."

"What? No that wasn't..." Beastboy stopped talking for a second as his eyes lit up. "Dude, that would be awesome!"

"No, Beastboy."

The changeling spent another second or two imagining how cool that would be. Finally shaking his head, he continued. "That's not what I was gonna ask anyway. Actually, I was kinda hoping that maybe the Justice League would sort of, ya know, sponsor the party."

The man of steel raised his eyebrows. "You want the League to throw a party?"

Beastboy waved his hands and shook his hands, negating that thought. "No, no, of course not. I'll do all the work, I promise. You guys won't have to do anything. I just want the League to sponsor it. If people think it's just something the Titan's are doing, they'll blow it off. If the invitation comes from you guys, though, everyone will show up."

Superman looked pensive for a moment before asking, "Why?"

"Uh, because of what I said earlier? All that teamwork, friendship, trust each other stuff."

Superman looked skeptically at Beastboy. "Well, those are all good reasons. They just don't seem like reasons for **you**."

Beastboy furrowed his brow in confusion. "What do you mean?"

"Look, no offense, Beastboy, but I have read Batman's files on the Titans. This just doesn't seem like you."

The animorph looked up in surprise at the defender of Metropolis. "Batman keeps files on us? Why?"

Superman shrugged. "He's Batman. He keeps files on everybody."

Beastboy took a moment to digest this information before nervously asking, "So, uh, what did he say about me?"

Superman watched Beastboy closely as he responded. "He says you have a lot of potential, and that you're good in a fight. That you're loyal to your friends and always try to do the right thing. But he also says that you're a little immature and, at times, lazy. That you prefer video games to training, and that you like to tell jokes and play pranks on people and that you never take anything seriously. He says that you're even worse than the Flash."

Beastboy reddened slightly at the accuracy of the description. Of course, if his plan was going to work, he couldn't let Superman know how accurate it was. "Well, uh, I think he might have, ya know, exaggerated a little. I sometimes take stuff seriously."

Superman raised an eyebrow. "He also mentioned a 'sporks incident' from last year?"

Beastboy pointed an indignant finger at the screen, raising his voice in denial. "No one can prove that was me!"

Taking a moment to compose himself, Beastboy continued. "Look, Superman, I just think it would be nice for everyone to get together, ok? I thought it would be cool for all of us to be able to take an evening and relax, have a little fun. And we really **should** introduce all the new Titans to everyone, and it really **would** help build trust and stuff, ya know?"

Superman considered this for a few moments before finally responding. "Alright, Beastboy. If you can promise me that you will take this seriously and do your best to throw a good party and make sure everyone has a good time, then the League will sponsor it for you."

Beastboy's face broke into a huge grin. "Yes, sir! I promise, it will be the bestest, most awesomest party ever in the whole world!"

Superman gave a small sigh, already beginning to question his decision. Fixing the changeling with a steely stare, he gave one last bit of instruction. "Don't make me regret this, Beastboy. Watchtower out."

As the screen winked out, Beastboy couldn't help but break into an elaborate victory dance, gyrating wildly across the living room.

Finally, after exhausting his extensive dancing repertoire, he made his way into the kitchen, stopping in front of the refrigerator. Beastboy pulled the door open, ducking behind it at the same time. One could never be too careful, especially as far as the Titan's fridge was concerned. Slowly peeking his head over the door, he warily surveyed the rancid interior. The shelves were stocked with various food products, some leftovers, some never opened, most with a light coating of fur over their bulging packages. The fuzzy lifeform wasn't only on the food, though. It clung tenaciously to the greasy walls and shelves as well. Only one item appeared safe from it. On the top shelf, right in front, probably unspoiled, but every bit as scary, gurgled Starfire's latest Tameranian concoction. The jiggling mass was completely untouched by the mold, as was a small, pristine, radius around it.

Beastboy gave a small sigh of relief. Everything was just as he left it. He took a quick glance around the room, making sure he was still alone, before reaching into the very back of the refrigerator. He was careful to avoid touching anything, unsure just how safe any of it was. His fingers finally made contact with his objective, and he cautiously extracted it. It appeared to be an old tofu take-out container. Setting it on the counter, he opened the top to reveal that it did indeed contain old tofu. Very old. The light brown fuzz that infested the refrigerator had long since infiltrated the flimsy cardboard container and was now covering the top of the tofu as well. Gritting his teeth and averting his eyes, he stuck his left hand into the disgusting glop, squelching around a moment before finally pulling out a ziploc bag.

He opened the plastic bag, touching the exterior only with his already soiled left hand, and pulled out a tattered, creased piece of paper with his relatively clean right. He set the paper on the counter, careful not to begrime it, conscientiously smoothing it out. Pulling a pen from his pocket, he made a large checkmark in a box on the left side of the paper. Despite having long-since memorized the contents, he took a moment to read through it once more, paranoid of forgetting some crucial detail. After assuring himself that he was still on track, he carefully placed the paper back in the protective bag and zipped it up. Cringing once more, he nevertheless redeposited his scheme in the fetid tofu, and returned the container to the back of the fridge. As soon as that was done, he raced to the sink and washed both his hands in disinfectant soap and hot water. Very hot.

Beastboy dried his hands on a dishtowel and turned to leave the living room. Just as he reached the door, it suddenly swished open, causing the changeling to jump back in surprise, one hand clutching his chest. He hadn't expected anyone to be coming in here for at least another hour.

Cyborg stepped through the door, apparently finished with his task in the garage. "Hey, BB, I was about to play some gamestation. You up for a little butt-whoopin'?"

Beastboy, flustered by how close he had come to getting caught, took a deep breath and answered absently as he glanced back over his shoulder at the kitchen for any incriminating evidence. "Nah, I'm gonna get some practice in."

Cyborg furrowed his brow. "Practice? What kinda practice?"

Beastboy, realizing what he had just said, slowly turned back to face Cyborg, tripping over his words as he tried to cover his mistake. "Um, p-practice? Who said anything about practice? Not me!"

Cyborg eyed the changling suspiciously. "Uh, yeah you did. You just said you were gonna go get some practice in."

Beastboy cleared his throat, tugging slightly at his collar. "Practice? I didn't say practice. I said, uh, I said, nappage! Yeah, that's it. I said I was gonna get some nappage in. Geez, Cy, clean the motor oil outta your ears."

"What? That's not what you said. I was standin' right here, and you said..."

Beastboy interrupted him with a huge, fake yawn while slowly edging towards the door. "Sorry, Cy, but I gotta go. I'm really tired," he punctuated this with another obviously fake yawn, "definitely need some nappage. See ya!" Beastboy broke for the door, the sudden flurry of movement belying his claims of fatigue, making it out of the room before his teammate could say another word.

Cyborg watched the door slide closed behind his retreating friend. "I swear, that boy gets weirder every single day."

* * *

_Wednesday, October 4, 2006_

_4:42 p.m._

Robin poked his head around the edge of the doorway, eyes carefully sweeping across the living room, his gaze settling on the room's only occupant. Clearly taking advantage of the quiet, she floated serenely in front of the large, bay windows that overlooked the gloomy, overcast day, chanting softly to herself the familiar mantra of meditation.

Robin ducked back around the corner, taking a deep breath and collecting his thoughts. After a minute or two, he plunged in.

Entering the room, he crept over and stopped right behind the empath. He stood there for several seconds, not moving at all. Finally, his mouth opened as if to speak, but quickly shut before any sound escaped. He turned to walk away, but then spun on his heel to face her once more. His mouth once again opened, but again closed before any words were loosed. He turned away and began to take a step.

"Something you need, Robin?"

Robin jumped high in the air, a small squeal escaping him. When he landed, he turned to face Raven with two birdarangs in one hand and his staff twirling rapidly in the other, his chest heaving.

Raven, now standing and facing the Boy Wonder, raised an eyebrow at his antics.

Robin, face flushed, put away his weapons. "Heh, sorry about that. You startled me."

Raven brushed past him, walking towards the kitchen. "Odd, considering you were the one sneaking around."

He had no answer for this, so stayed silent as he followed her.

She pulled her tea kettle down from the cupboard, filled it with water, and set it on the stove to boil. As she did, Robin stood at the counter, alternately watching her and staring down at his gloves. After a brief silence, he spoke. "So, it's October."

Raven didn't answer as she retrieved her box of tea from another cupboard.

"Yup, October. Lot's of good stuff in October." Robin observed her carefully as he spoke, hoping for some sort of response, but she just reached onto a higher shelf to fetch her favorite mug.

"There's autumn. All the leaves turning. That's always cool. And football season. Gotta love the NFL, huh?"

She still didn't answer, just stood at the stove with her back to him, patiently waiting for the kettle to come to a boil.

"Halloween too. Costumes and candy and stuff. Everyone likes Halloween."

Raven pulled the kettle off the stove mere seconds before it erupted into loud screeching, and poured the steaming liquid into her cup.

"Uh, speaking of Halloween, we got something in the mail yesterday. From the Justice League. An invitation, to a Halloween party. There's going to be music and food and games and prizes. Should be lots of fun"

Raven, freshly prepared cup of tea in hand, moved past Robin towards the exit with a mumbled, "That's nice."

Robin, a slight hint of relief in his voice, said, "Really? You think so?"

Raven took another two steps before realizing she had been asked a question. Turning back to the Titan's leader looking slightly confused, she asked, "What?"

Robin, sounding nervous again, said, "The party. The Halloween party the Justice League is having. You said it sounded nice."

"Oh. Yeah, I guess." Raven again started walking towards the exit, but was stopped by Robin's voice once more.

"Uh, so, does that mean you're going?"

"No."

"But you just said..."

"Parties aren't my thing."

"But couldn't you at least..."

"No."

"But..."

"No." When no more objections were immediately forthcoming, Raven continued her trek towards the exit.

Robin, shoulders slumping, spoke up in a small voice. "Y-you have to. It's not optional."

Raven stopped, standing right in front of the now open door. She answered without turning around. "Excuse me?"

"I'm making the party a mission. All of us have to go. It's mandatory." Robin braced himself, waiting for her response.

Raven slowly turned, staring intensely at the Boy Wonder. "That's ridiculous."

He gave a resigned shrug. "I'm sorry. I know you don't want to, but if the League is going to all the trouble to throw the party, then we are going. It will be a good chance to get reacquainted with everyone. You have to go."

Raven's eyes narrowed dangerously. "I don't **have** to do anything. If I don't want to go, you can't make me."

Robin crossed his arms stubbornly. "Anyone who doesn't show up will get one month of kitchen duty."

She stood there for a moment, as if weighing her options, before finally saying, "Fine."

"So, you'll go?"

"No. I'll take the kitchen duty." She turned and marched out of the room.

Robin stared in disbelief. Finally, shaking himself, he sprang forward to follow her. Catching up in the hallway outside her bedroom, he placed a hand on her shoulder, stopping her progress. "Please, Raven, be reasonable about this."

She shot a toxic glare at him, a hard edge crusting her normal tone. "Reasonable? Me? You're the one making a stupid party a mandatory assignment."

With a placating voice, Robin said, "Look, you can either spend a couple of hours on one evening at a party, where you might have a little fun, or you can spend a couple of hours every night for a month wiping counters, sweeping floors, washing dishes, and chiseling Tameranian food from pots and pans." When she still didn't look convinced, he added, "And you would have to clean out the refrigerator."

Even Raven felt a quiver of fear at that ominous thought. Finally, though, she conceded. "Fine. I'll go to the pointless party. But I will not enjoy it." And then she swept into her room, leaving him standing there alone.

Robin heaved a heavy sigh of relief, mopping his brow with one hand, glad that things hadn't gotten ugly. Turning down the hall, he proceeded to another of the Titan's bedrooms. Stopping outside the door, he gave a quick knock.

The door slid open to reveal the Augean interior of Beastboy's room, the changeling himself standing in the doorway.

"Hey, Beastboy, I did it. Can I come..."

Before Robin could finish, Beastboy cut him off. "You didn't do it right. First you have to give the secret knock, then I offer the challenge, then you give the password. THEN you can come in and give me an official report." He closed the door in the face of the Boy Wonder.

With a small grunt of frustration, Robin pulled a piece of paper from his utility belt and referenced it as he banged his knuckles against the door in a long and convoluted series.

As soon as he was done, a voice called somberly from the room. "The sun is shining in Gotham today."

Rolling his eyes under his mask, Robin responded. "But the birds in Metropolis are sad."

The door opened again to reveal a widely grinning Beastboy. "Nice job!"

"Yeah, whatever. Can I come in now?"

"Sure thing, dude."

Robin stepped in, grimacing in disgust as he looked around. Doing his best to ignore the mess, he turned to Beastboy. "Ok, I did it. She's going."

Beastboy's eyes lit up. "Really? She's gonna be there?"

Robin nodded. "Yeah. But I had to threaten her with kitchen duty, including cleaning the fridge."

They both shuddered before Robin continued. "Why do you care so much if Raven goes to the League's party, anyways?"

Beastboy gulped, scratching the back of his head. "I-I, uh, don't really care. I just think that, um, she needs to get out more, ya know? It's not that it really matters to me." Beastboy gave a nervous chuckle as he continued. "She doens't have to be there. It wouldn't ruin some big plan or somethin' if she didn't." Pointing an accusing finger at Robin, he raised his voice in umbrage. "And what's with all the questions? You're acting like the Spanish imposition!"

Robin held his hands up in a gesture of surrender. "Calm down, Beastboy, I was just wondering." After allowing a moment for Beastboy to relax, Robin continued. "So, uh, do you have it?"

Beastboy's mood immediately lightened. "Oh, yeah! I guess you want that disc now, huh?"

Holding his hand out Robin said, "Yes. Hand it over."

Beastboy, chuckling to himself, walked over to his desk. After a few minutes of rummaging through drawers, he pulled out a small, recordable DVD. He walked back to the Boy Wonder, but didn't immediately relinquish the item. "You know, Robin, you really should be more careful. If something like this fell into the wrong hands, it could ruin your rep."

"That's why I agreed to your stupid deal. Now give it to me."

"I dunno. It's not everyday I have somethin' like this to hold over you. Maybe I should ask for another favor or two first."

Robin made a grab for it, but Beastboy danced out of his reach. "Nuh-uh. Not yet."

Through clenched teeth, Robin said, "I got Raven to go to the party. That was the deal. Now GIVE ME THE DISC!"

Beastboy stepped towards him once more, still grinning widely. "Now, now, Robin, no reason to lose your temper. I'll give it to you, but you have to ask nicely."

"Beastboy..."

"C'mon, a little politeness never hurt anyone."

Robin took a deep breath before continuing with barely constrained rage in his voice, "Fine. Beastboy, please give it to me."

"Be specific, Robin."

"Please give me the disc."

"The disc of what?"

Robin made a leaping lunge for it, but missed when Beastboy morphed into a spider monkey and jumped around the room, eventually ending up on the top bunk. He morphed back to human and sat with his legs dangling over the side. "Sorry, Robin, you have to be quicker than that. Now, last chance. Ask very nicely and very specifically for what you want, or I will have to give it to Cyborg instead. He can have it duplicated and sent out to everyone you know within an hour."

Robin stared at the disc still held by the changeling, carefully weighing his options. After a few moments consideration, though, he conceded defeat. Taking a deep breath, he asked in as polite a voice as he could muster, "Beastboy, would you please give me the disc."

Beastboy waved it back in forth in the air. "The disc of what?"

Turning deep red, from either anger or embarrassment, or maybe both, Robin forced the words out. "The disc of me, in nothing but a towel and shower cap."

"And what were you doing?"

Robin's head dropped as he stared at the ground and mumbled. "Dancing around and singing into my toothbrush."

"And what were you singing?"

"_O-oops, I Did It Again_."

"Now, put it all together."

"Please give me the disc of me dancing around in a towel and shower cap, singing _Oops I Did It Again_ into my toothbrush."

Beastboy tossed the disk to Robin. "See, was that so hard?"

Robin plucked the disk out of the air and bolted from the room, his face glowing incandescently red, leaving a hysterically laughing Beastboy rolling on the floor behind him.

* * *

_Sunday, October 8, 2006_

_11:37 a.m._

Beastboy, chilled from the cool autumn air, sat on a hard wooden bench in a very secluded section of Jump City Park. He stared at the Titan's communicator in his hand, awaiting a response from the man with the freakishly green glowing eyes that appeared on the tiny screen.

The Green Lantern raised his eyebrows at the changeling. "How exactly do I 'owe' you?"

"Last Christmas, you were supposed to go visit that children's hospital, but at the last minute you couldn't. You called us, and I went instead. And you said, 'Thanks, kid. I owe you one.'"

Green Lantern responded incredulously, "The reason I couldn't go was because I was with the League stopping an alien invasion of the Earth!"

Beastboy smiled at him. "See, you do remember. And you said to just ask if I ever needed anything."

"I meant help with a criminal, kid, or taking you out to lunch." Green Lantern smiled slightly, as he added. "Or maybe buying you a case of sporks."

Beastboy reddened as he jumped from his seat. "Nobody can prove that was me!"

"Sure, kid, whatever you say."

Beastboy sat back down, taking a breath to regulate his voice. "Look, you said if I needed help with **anything**. You're not goin' back on your word, are you?"

Green Lantern's smile disappeared completely as his eyes narrowed into a flinty gaze. "I never go back on my word."

Beastboy, thinking that he had possibly gone a bit too far, chuckled nervously and decided to change tactics. "C'mon, it's just one quick little favor. 5 minutes. That's all I'm asking. Please?"

Green Lantern's face softened slightly as he mulled everything over, Beastboy watching on hopefully. Finally, his deep bass taking on a resigned tone, he asked, "You're sure it's nothing dangerous?"

Beastboy couldn't help the smile that spread across his face. "Of course not. I told you, it's totally harmless."

"Yeah, well, since you won't give me any details, I just want to make sure."

Beastboy's grin widened. "I promise. The only person who will be in any physical danger is me, and that's not until after your part is over."

With a final sigh, he conceded. "Fine. But before you do whatever you are planning on doing, just remember, kid, it's your funeral. Green Lantern out."

A foreboding shiver ran down Beastboy's spine, in spite of the wide grin on his face. Telling himself it was just the cold, he put away his communicator and stood. Morphing into an eagle, he quickly ascended above the level of the trees, winging his way back to the Tower.

Once he arrived, he didn't land on the roof as he normally would. Instead, he flew a quick circuit of the island and landed at the base of the Tower. Morphing into a bloodhound, he trotted around it until he reached the proper spot. He sniffed the air to again verify that there was no one nearby, and then quickly dug his paws into the ground, throwing a mound of dirt behind him, until he found it.

Beastboy morphed back to human and picked up the filthy, putrid, plastic bag. Contained inside was a very familiar piece of paper. After carefully placing a checkmark on the paper, he put it back in the bag, and threw it back into the hole. After refilling the hole, he flew towards the roof, happy in the knowledge that his plan was right on schedule.

* * *

**A/N:** So much for the chapters being short, huh? At least the update came relatively quickly. Less than a week between chapters is a personal best for me. And I know that this chapter was really slow, but the setup is necessary. I hope it wasn't too boring for you, especially considering the next one will be pretty similar. At least the plan is unfolding a bit. I will do my best to try and keep it from being tedious.

This is, obviously, a Halloween fic (my reason for wanting to finish it before Nov. 1). I was sitting there, trying to come up with a story, and thought that a superhero costume party would be fun to write. This is what grew from there.

Also, I have only seen a half dozen or so episodes of the Justice League, so all my characterizations of them are extrapolated from what I remember. My apologies if any of them are horribly out of character. Please let me know and I will do my best to adjust for it in future chapters, as they will occasionally appear throughout the story.

My thanks to everyone who reads the story, especially to those of you who take the time to leave a review. I will be sure to reply to all signed reviews.

Thanks again!

Coeus


	3. Last Minute

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Teen Titans.

**Never Say Never**

**Chapter 3: Last Minute  
**

_Monday, October 30, 2006_

_11:27 a.m._

"I will **not** wear **that**!" Raven's horrified, wide-eyed stare shifted quickly between the Tameranian princess and the... thing she was holding. Unnoticed by the appalled empath, her book slipped from her hand to land quietly on the carpeted floor of her tenebrous bedroom.

Starfire glanced innocently at the garment hanging in her hand. "But Raven, you have already agreed to do the dressing up for the party celebrating the Festival of All Hallows Eve."

Raven blinked owlishly, attempting to jump start her stalled brain. "What? I don't even want to go to the stupid party, why would I wear a costume?"

"I believe it is an earthly tradition."

Raven shook her head, her tone sharp. "I know that. I mean why would **I** wear a costume."

Starfire smiled widely. "You agreed that it would be enjoyable to do so."

Raven furrowed her brow in confusion. "I did?"

Starfire's smile started to fade slightly. "You do not remember?"

"Um..."

"We were in the living room. Beastboy and I were watching the television. You were reading. The fascinating show about the many variety of animal and insect products contained in the 'hot dog' ended, and we began discussing the upcoming Halloween. When I asked if you were going to do the dressing up, you said that you most assuredly were. When I asked if you wanted me to do the shopping for your costume, you said that would be most glorious, and when I asked what kind you wanted, you said that you greatly valued my friendship and would happily defer to my judgement."

Raven raised a dubious eyebrow at the cheerful alien. "I said all that?"

Starfire couldn't help the slight blush that rose on her features. "I believe that your exact words were 'uh-huh', 'sure', and 'whatever'."

Raven sighed deeply. _I should really pay more attention to what I say while I'm reading. "_Starfire, it's not that I don't appreciate..."

Starfire's eyes shimmered and her lower lip trembled slightly as she interrupted. "Y-you have changed your mind? You do not wish to wear the costume that I have bought for you? You do not value my friendship and trust in my judgement?"

Raven, unable to stand a crying Starfire, moved swiftly to placate her. "No, Star, it's nothing like that. I do value your friendship. It's just, I'm not really a costume kind of person."

"B-but you said..."

"I know, but I wasn't really..." Raven stopped in midsentence, unwilling to admit that she hadn't been listening at the time. "It's just... I wasn't... I misunderstood."

Starfire's shoulders and head drooped miserably low, her smile conspicuously absent, as she turned to trudge out of the room. "I understand. I am sorry to have bothered you."

Raven watched her take a few slow, pitiful steps before rolling her eyes to the heavens in a look of utmost long-suffering. _I just know I am going to regret this. _"Fine. I will wear a costume."

Before the words were even out of her mouth, Raven was in the steely grip of a Tameranian death hug. "Most glorious! You will look wondrous in your costume. There is also a traditional hair style that I will be happy to assist you with before the festival. I will come by..."

Extricating herself, Raven looked askance at the costume still clutched in the girl's hand. "Hold on a second, Starfire. I said I would wear **a **costume, not **that** costume."

Starfire held the material up, looking at it critically. "What is wrong with it?"

_Besides looking like something out of Control Freak's wet dreams?_ Raven gagged slightly at this thought and quickly spoke up to distract her own mind. "It's... not really my style. What else did they have?"

Starfire looked worriedly at her friend. "I am sorry, Raven, but the shop of costumes had nothing else in your size. It was most fortunate that they even had this. The helpful lady had to go to the back to get it."

Raven couldn't believe her ears. "What? They had nothing else at all?" Starfire shook her head, so Raven continued. "Fine. I'll get something from somewhere else."

"But Raven, the Halloween is tomorrow. All the shops will likely be in similar states."

"I can't wear that."

Starfire held out the hanger towards her friend. "Perhaps you should try it on? You might like it better once you have worn it."

Raven took the proffered item with a barely concealed shudder. "Starfire, I can't. There has to be something else." Raven's face looked almost hopeful with a sudden thought. "Why don't we trade? You got yourself a costume, and there is no way it can be worse than this. We can swap."

Starfire blushed deeply as she looked away, refusing to make eye contact. "I... I do not believe that is a good idea."

Raven, curious at the odd reaction, asked, "Why not?"

Starfire nervously steepled her fingers together, carefully looking at the floor as her blush deepened. "It is... I think that... you would not want to trade."

Raven looked suspiciously at the Tameranian as she used her free hand to indicate the costume. "Why not? Yours can't be worse than this."

Starfire glanced up quickly through her lashes, before her eyes darted away again, not responding to the question.

"Starfire?"

Taking a deep breath to steady herself, Starfire mumbled out an answer. "It is... you would not want to trade, because... because my costume was chosen to be complementary... with Robin's." Her face was glowing brightly by the time she finished.

Raven's astonishment was obvious in her tone. "You and Robin are wearing matching costumes?"

Starfire finally made eye contact with Raven again. "Yes. Robin allowed me to choose his costume as well, and it is part of a set with my own. I did not think that..."

Raven quickly cut her off, waving one hand in front of her. "No! No, you're absolutely right. I do not want to be part of some famous couple or the back end of a horse or whatever else you picked out."

Starfire breathed a sigh of relief. "I am glad. But your guesses are incorrect. Our costumes are those of..."

Raven interrupted again. "No, don't tell me. I really don't think I want to know."

Starfire was smiling once again. "Yes, you are right. It will be better as a surprise. You shall see our most adorable costumes tomorrow night."

Raven returned to the issue at hand. "Fine, whatever. But what am I supposed to do about this?" She held up the hanger.

Starfire looked at Raven with giant, watery, pleading eyes. "Perhaps you could wear the costume? There does not seem to be any other choice, and it will not be as bad as you think, friend Raven. Please?"

_Yeah, **now** I'm 'friend Raven'. _Raven looked from Starfire, to the costume in her hand, and back, before finally giving a long, resigned sigh. "Fine. But I am wearing my cloak, and you can not tell anyone that I have a costume on."

Starfire's smile could have illuminated a thousand galaxies. "Glorious! I am sure once you arrive at the party and see all the wondrous costumes, you will be happy to show yours off as well. And tomorrow afternoon I will assist you in arranging your hair appropriately."

Raven started to protest, but realized that the hair was a small consideration compared to the rest of what she had agreed to. _Besides, I can just leave my hood up._ "Fine. Can I get back to my book now?"

Starfire caught her friend up in another quick hug before striding towards the exit. "Certainly, Raven. I will go and try on my costume again."

An exuberant Starfire exited the room, the door swishing closed behind her, and made her way down the hallway towards her own bedroom. Turning a corner, she stopped abruptly as she came face to face with Beastboy.

"Heya, Star! What's up?"

Starfire's face lit up. "Greetings, Beastboy. I must thank you for suggesting a most excellent shop of costumes!"

Beastboy smiled. "So you found costumes for all three of you?"

Starfire nodded. "Yes, it was an exceedingly pleasant morning."

Beastboy looked around quickly before lowering his voice. "Even something for Raven?"

Starfire's hands flew to her mouth. "Oh! I was not supposed to mention that I purchased a costume for Raven as well. She did not want anyone to know."

Beastboy placed a reassuring hand on Starfire's shoulder. "Don't worry about it, Star. I already knew you were looking for it, and it's not like I wouldn't have seen it tomorrow at the party."

"I hope that is true."

Beastboy's brow furrowed. "What do you mean?"

Now it was Starfire's turn to glance around before replying in a whisper. "Raven insists that she shall wear her cloak. I am afraid that no one will even be aware that she is wearing the costume."

A look of deep concentration creased Beastboy's face as he considered this for a few moments. Starfire was about to say something to break the silence, when Beastboy gave a small shake of his head.

His smile returned, and he looked cheerfully at the girl. "Don't worry about it, Star. These things always seem to have a way of working themselves out."

* * *

_Monday, October 30, 2006_

_6:53 p.m._

"What?" Beastboy flopped back into his chair, looking in astonishment at the scarlet-clad hero on the tiny screen of his communicator.

After his earlier conversation with Starfire, Beastboy had retreated to his room to ponder the newfound information she had given him. He couldn't believe it. After spending weeks of dropping subtle hints to Starfire, after painstakingly manipulating the conversation in the living room so that Starfire would ask Raven only when the empath wasn't paying attention, after making sure that Starfire went to the one shop where he had put a costume on reserve weeks ago, the one shop where had bribed the sales clerk, after all that, Raven decided to wear her cloak.

Beastboy had known from the beginning that getting Raven into a costume would be almost impossible, but he had hoped that by approaching her through Starfire, it might actually happen. And it did. It had actually worked. Except now she was insisting on wearing her cloak.

It was a disaster of his own making. He should have gone with a more... reasonable costume. He should have chosen something she wouldn't object so much to. The whole point of the costume was so she **wouldn't** wear the cloak. With the cloak, the plan was doomed to failure. Raven's cloak was like her own personal suit of armor, a cloth barrier between herself and the rest of the world. It would be impossible to take her out of her comfort zone while she wore it, and even if he did manage to do so, no one would know because of the hood. Unfortunately, though, Beastboy had let himself get carried away and chose a costume that, if anything, would drive her further into the cloak.

Beastboy had spent the last several hours commiserating over how to salvage all his hard work, staring blankly at the filthy, tattered piece of paper that sat on his desk. There was only one box left unmarked, silently taunting him from the page. Eventually he had reached one inevitable, inescapable conclusion. He needed help.

And now he sat, staring into his communicator in disbelief. "What?"

The Flash gave a wary smile. "Don't get me wrong, I like a good prank as well as the next guy, but I think I'm going to need details before I agree to something like that."

Beastboy stared accusingly at the speedster. "You don't trust me."

Flash held both hands up placatingly. "Oh, c'mon, it's not like that. It's just... you know."

"It's just what?"

"It's just... well, the thing is..."

"Just say it!"

Flash sighed in resignation. "Beastboy, I never even **imagined** that you could do that with sporks."

Beastboy flushed hotly, shouting at the screen. "NO ONE CAN PROVE THAT WAS ME!"

Flash coughed nervously as Beastboy crossed his arms in a pout. Silence stretched out for several minutes before the changeling looked grudgingly back at the screen. "Besides, this won't be anything like that. There won't be any sirens or rescue workers or anything."

Flash still looked uncertain, so Beastboy continued in his most reasonable tone. "It's harmless, I promise. And you should be flattered. Outta all the people I coulda asked, I chose you. C'mon! It's all in good fun and no one will get hurt."

Flash smiled widely. "Except you, of course."

Beastboy couldn't help the matching grin that spread across his own face. "So you'll do it?"

"Yeah, I guess I will. What's Halloween without a few juvenile stunts, right? I'll see you at the party. Flash out."

Beastboy leaped high in the air with a joyous cheer. The plan was back on track! Pulling a pen from his desk drawer, he marked off the last box.

Holding up the disgusting, ragged paper, he couldn't help but stare at it for a moment with a mixture of pride and trepidation. His non-stop work of the last several months was all but complete. He still had a few finishing touches to put on his costume, and he still had to find something for his face that looked more natural than magic marker, but those were just minor details. All that was really left was the party. The party he had single-handedly put together, always keeping it a secret from his friends, that would be attended by every major superhero in the world. The party that would culminate in his shining triumph... or dismal failure.

Beastboy shook his head to dispel these thoughts. _Dude, stop worrying! It's gonna be great. What could possibly go wrong?_

* * *

**A/N:** Another boring chapter, I know, and not much in the way of comedy. I probably should have just tacked this on to the end of the last chapter. At least the next chapter is the party, and things should pick up there. At least I hope they do. Thank you for bearing with me through the rather long build-up process. 

I haven't decided yet if the party will be all in one long chapter or if I will break it up into two. It depends on how long it actually ends up. Either way, though, I will try to get the next part posted as quickly as possible.

A sincere thank you to everyone who takes the time to read the story, especially to those of you who review!

Coeus


	4. The Party

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Teen Titans.

**Never Say Never**

**Chapter 4: The Party**

_Tuesday, October 31, 2006_

_PARTY TIME!_

"Sure thing, BB. I guess we'll see you there. Cyborg out."

Cyborg punched a few buttons on his arm, turning off his communicator before rolling his sleeve down again. Looking around at the Titan's living room, he was surprised to see that he was still alone. He walked over to the door and stuck his head into the adjoining hallway, raising his voice. "C'mon guys! We're gonna be late!"

Cyborg walked back into the living room and paced in front of the couch, grumbling under his breath about all the good food being gone by the time they got to the party. As he turned in his pacing, he caught a glimpse of movement from the corner of his eye. Looking towards it, he saw his own reflection staring back at him from the large bay window.

Walking towards the glass for a better look, he surveyed himself one last time. Costume shops didn't generally carry much in his size, so he had had to be a bit creative. He wore a plain, white dress shirt buttoned neatly up the front, and a pair of nondescript gray slacks. Watching himself in the glass, he carefully adjusted the large, old-fashioned cloak around his shoulders and pulled the matching deerstalker cap down tightly. He couldn't help but smile as he clenched an old wooden pipe between his teeth. Raising the over-sized magnifying glass to his eye, he peered through it at his reflection. With a very bad British accent, he said, "Cheerio old chap. It's elementary my dear Dr. Watson, I am one dashing London detective."

"Colonel Mustard, in the Conservatory, with the candlestick."

Cyborg spun around at the sound of the monotone voice behind him, the hand holding the magnifying glass dropping to his side, to see Raven standing behind the couch. He gave a nervous chuckle and spoke, without the accent. "Heh, hey Raven. Just practicin'."

"Sherlock Holmes, huh?"

Cyborg moved away from the reflective glass towards the empath. "Yep. How's it look?"

Raven eyed his costume critically for a moment. "Not bad. Easy enough to guess who you're supposed to be. I don't think Sir Arthur Conan Doyle ever envisioned him with a glowing red eye and a cybernetic brain, though."

Cyborg smiled, tapping the robotic half of his head with one finger. "What can I say, I'm Sherlock 2.0." His smile lessened slightly as he took in her apparel. She was dressed just like any other day, wrapped up in her cloak, with no indication at all that she was going to a costume party. She even had her hood up to hide her face, something she normally didn't do while she was inside the Tower. "No costume for you?"

Raven gave a slight shake of her head. "No. I didn't even want to go to the stupid party. It's a waste of time."

Cyborg glanced up at the clock on the wall. "Yeah, well if those two don't hurry up we're gonna miss it anyways. What's takin' them so..." He was interrupted by the doors swishing open.

"Joyous Eve of All Hallow's, my friends!" Starfire stepped into the living room and towards her teammates.

The two turned to the exuberant Tamaranian. Cyborg said, "Happy Halloween, Star. Nice costume."

Starfire twirled happily in the air at his comment. "You truly think so?"

Cyborg nodded, looking a bit confused. "Yep. Uh, who exactly are you?"

Starfire's face fell slightly at the question. "You cannot guess?" She again rotated in the air, this time much more slowly, to give them both a good look.

She was wearing an old fashioned dress. It was mostly various shades of pink and white, covered all over in ruffles and lace. It had a square-cut neckline, and the sleeves were large and poofy, bunched just above the elbows. The dress reached almost to her white shoes and formed a perfect circle, several feet in diamater, around her, obviously held in position with some sort of stiff wire in the hem. She was wearing a matching bonnet, tied at the chin with a bit of pink ribbon. The only portion of her hair that was visible were the vertical curls bobbing down around her face. What really gave it away, though, was the long, wooden shepherd's crook she held in one hand.

Raven quickly came to a conclusion. "You're Little Bo Peep."

Starfire clapped her hands in delight. "That is correct!"

Cyborg grinned at her. "Yup, I shoulda guessed it. It's a great costume, Star."

"Thank you, Cyborg. Your costume is also wonderful."

"Thanks. I'm Sherlock Holmes."

Starfire gave a quick nod. "I am certain that you are." Turning away from the flustered Cyborg, she spoke to Raven. "Raven, are you certain that I can not convince you to remove..." She broke off abruptly at the warning glare that flashed in the half-demon's eyes.

Cyborg noted the odd exchange between the girls, but chose to remain silent about it as he glanced at the clock again. "So where's Rob at? We need to get this show on the road."

Starfire looked around, a puzzlement evident on her face. "He was right behind me..."

"I'm not going!" It was Robin's voice, coming from the hallway outside the living room. "Go without me!"

The three Titans exchanged glances before turning as a group to face the door. Starfire took a step towards it, calling out, "But Robin..."

"I'm sorry, Star, but I'm not going. That's final."

It was Raven's turn to speak up, a hint of accusation creeping into her statement. "You said this was mandatory. You said we all had to go!"

"No. I'll take the kitchen duty."

Cyborg took another peek at the clock. "C'mon, Robin, quit playin' around. We shoulda left twenty minutes ago."

"Go without me. I'm not going." His voice was practically dripping with sullenness.

Raven couldn't believe it. All that talk about her having to go, about it not being optional, and now he was backing out? Why would he...

Realization struck her as Raven looked at Starfire's costume again. With amusement obvious in her voice, she asked, "Starfire, you said you had 'complementary costumes'? So, if you're Little Bo Peep, then Robin is..."

Starfire's eyes lit up excitedly. "Of course! He is playing his part wonderfully! I must do my part as well!"

Cyborg watched in bewilderment as Starfire started glancing around and behind all the furniture while calling out plaintively, "Oh, where could he be? I have lost him. I must quickly locate him. Please, come back to the Little Bo Peep."

Raven fought back a grin as Robin called frantically into the room. "Starfire, stop that! This isn't a game! I'm not going."

The alien princess, however continued. "Oh, I can hear him, but I can not find him. Will he not come back to me!"

"Starfire!"

"A great sadness has enveloped my heart. I must find him!"

Robin was silent for a moment before he called out again, sounding utterly defeated. "Fine. I'm coming in, ok, Starfire? Just, please... stop doing that."

Starfire stopped her casting about to once again join a highly amused Raven and a thoroughly confused Cyborg in watching the entrance. The doors swished open and the Boy Wonder stepped through, stunning everyone into a short silence. Very short.

Cyborg erupted into loud peals of gut-busting laughter, dropping to his hands and knees, gasping for breath and pounding the floor with one hand. Raven, while appearing to be her usual stoic self, was actually biting the inside of her cheek to keep from joining him. Starfire simply watched Robin with wide, adoring eyes.

He stood there, face red, striving to die on the spot. He was dressed in a sheep costume. It covered him from neck to toe in shining, fluffy, curly white wool. His hands and feet were capped by large, plastic fake hooves. He wore a hood that tied under his chin, topping his head in the same curly wool, and giving him floppy sheep's ears as well. His face was left uncovered, save for the mask that he had refused to relinquish and the intense blush staining his cheeks.

Doing his best to ignore the hysterical half-robot, he moved towards Starfire, pleading. "Star, I know you spent a lot of time picking out our costumes, but couldn't I wear something else. Anything else. Please?"

Starfire's shoulders and face drooped low, obviously hurt by the question. "Y-you do not wish to wear a costume that is matching with mine?"

Robin shook his head, trying his best to explain. "Starfire, it's not that, it's just..." Her large, green eyes shimmered in unshed tears, boring into his soul. "C'mon, Star, it's not a big deal, it's just that..." He couldn't help but notice as her lip gave an uncontrollable quiver. "It's..." She turned away from him, dropping her gaze, and slowly descended from her hovering position to land with both feet on the floor. He gave a deep sigh. "It's that I love it so much, I was concerned about getting it dirty. Don't worry, though, I'll just have to be extra careful."

Starfire's eyes lit up with joy as she crushed the Sheep Wonder in a huge hug. Robin couldn't help the small smile on his face at her happiness, and flushed once more when he noticed the all-too-knowing smirk of his half-demon teammate.

By the time Starfire had released Robin, Cyborg had just about managed to get himself under control. He was once again standing, wiping tears of mirth from the corners of his eyes. Starfire looked from Cyborg to Robin and back, asking curiously, "Cyborg, do you not like Robin's costume. Is it not adorable?"

Cyborg erupted in hilarity once more. Staggering over to Robin and draping one arm around his woolly shoulders, he was finally able to force his response out between gasps. "No... Star... It's great... He's the... cutest... most adorable... little lambykins... I've ever seen."

Robin shrugged the arm off and gave the older teen a shove. "Shut up, Cyborg. Can we just go? Where's Beastboy?"

Cyborg had to take several deep, steadying breaths before he was able to reply. "He called a while ago. He's already at the party. He said to just meet him there."

Robin nodded once. "Fine. Let's go."

As they all exited the room, Cyborg glanced over at Robin with a snicker. "Nice tail, man."

Robin glared furiously, suddenly very aware of another downside to his costume. The plastic hooves he wore precluded the use of expressive hand gestures.

* * *

The ride in the T-car was uneventful and quiet, save for occasional outbursts of laughter whenever Cyborg happened to catch a glimpse of Robin in the rear view mirror. Fortunately (or perhaps unfortunately) for the wool clad teen hero, it was a short trip, and they were soon parked and walking towards the entrance of the Jump City Banquet Hall where the party was to take place. If Raven was holding her cloak and hood more tightly around herself than usual, no one seemed to notice. 

Cyborg led the group through the chilled autumn air, holding open the glass entry door for his friends and entering behind them. The room was a large rectangle, with relatively high ceilings. Taking up the entire wall on one end of the room was a stage, complete with curtain. A speaker's podium was set up off to the side. All in all, it was a very normal banquet hall, a place all of the Titans had been to several times for various civic functions. None of them, though, had ever seen it looking like this.

All of the walls of the room had been covered with black velvet, as had the ceiling. Even the fluorescent lights were covered. Illumination came from hundreds of intricately carved jack-o-lanterns dispersed haphazardly throughout the space. The uneven candlelight that shone from them bathed the whole room in a faint yellow glow. Shadows flickered everywhere, frolicking merrily around the room. The floor of the room was covered in dark, loamy soil, packed loosely from the tread of many feet. The occupants of the room stepped carefully around the many small mounds that dotted the floor randomly, each with an old, crumbling headstone next to it. Loose cobwebs hung from the ceiling at various heights, lightly brushing heads and shoulders, causing involuntary shivers to dance along spines. The end of the room opposite the stage had three shiny, jet black coffins along the wall with their lids raised, the fake corpses inside holding a wide assortment of foods on plates and platters. The buffet line that formed next to them was a macabre parody of a funeral procession. Music played softly in the background, just on the edge of hearing, a slow, heavy, somber tune.

Cyborg gave a low whistle. "Man, the Justice League went all out. This is just plain spooky."

Starfire, standing very close to Robin, said, "Yes, it is most unpleasant."

Robin placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Don't worry, Star, it's all just decorations."

Even Raven was impressed. "I have to admit, it's a lot better than what I expected. Looks like a good turnout, too. We must be the last ones here."

Cyborg glanced over at Robin with a smirk. "That's just 'cause Little Bo Peep lost her sheep, and didn't know where to find him."

Robin glowered venomously at him, opening his mouth to speak. Before he could, however, he was cut off.

"There you are. I've heard of being fashionably late, I've just never seen the hosts do it." Superman walked over to join the group. He was wearing a very old style tuxedo, with a white puffy shirt and a black vest. He had a long, wide-collared, black cape around his shoulders, the red satin lining barely visible behind his large form. His hair was slicked straight back. His smile revealed two long fangs extending from his mouth, one of which appeared to be slightly stained red.

As he reached them, the Kryptonian's smile widened. "Nice costumes. I especially like yours, Robin. Very fluffy."

Robin blushed (something he was quite sure he would be doing a lot of this evening) as Starfire beamed with pride and Cyborg laughed. Robin, desperate to change the subject, latched on to the first thing that Superman had said. "Fashionably late? What do you mean? Were you guys late too?"

Superman looked blankly at the Boy Wonder. "Um, no. We were on time. A little early, actually. I said it was a little odd for the **hosts** to show up late. But I think you earned a reprieve. The place looks great. I have to admit, when Beastboy called and asked us to sponsor the party for you guys, I was a little hesitant, but I'm glad I agreed. You did an amazing job. Now, if you'll excuse me, I think I'm going to head to the buffet."

The four Titans shared a confused glance as Superman walked away. Raven broke the silence. "Do any of you know what he was talking about?"

Starfire and Robin shook their heads, while Cyborg said, "Nope. Not a clue. Maybe the grass stain can explain it."

Robin scanned the room quickly. "Where is Beastboy? Wasn't he supposed to meet us here?"

Cyborg shrugged. "That's what he said. I bet he's around somewhere. What difference does it make? This is a party, so let's party, people!"

Putting the Kryptonian's odd comments and the changeling's whereabouts out of their minds for the time being, the Titans moved to join the party.

* * *

They floated from group to group, exchanging greetings and pleasantries. With every new group there was the inevitable comment about Robin's attire that would cause him to flush anew and Starfire to either beam in pride or wrinkle her brow in confusion. It seemed that almost everyone had gotten into the Halloween spirit and donned a costume. 

Hotspot was dressed as a football player, complete with helmet and shoulderpads, and carried a football tucked under one arm. Jericho wore a long black robe with a red crest emblazoned on the front, and round black glasses. He carried a small stick in one hand and had a jagged scar drawn on his forehead. Kole was wearing a dress that was so pink and frilly that the mere sight made Raven nauseous, along with a tall, pointy, hat with a wispy veil attached. Staying close to her side was Gnarrk, dressed in a black t-shirt with an old gray coat and matching pants. On his head he had a prosthesis to make it appear flat, and had a bolt sticking out of each side of his neck. Wildebeest, embracing his less-than-human visage, was dressed as the Beast from Beauty and the Beast, and carried it off quite well. Argent had donned a black dress, with a pointy hat and a long, fake nose with a big wart on the end and carried an old straw broom in one hand. Mas and Menos were dressed in overalls (one in red, the other green) and a matching hat in mimicry of their favorite video game brothers. Aquaman was dressed in full pirate regalia, doing a better than fair imitation of Captain Hook. Supergirl, much to the delight of the males at the party, wore a cheerleader's outfit and carried pom-poms. Wonder Woman was dressed in a long toga and a pointy crown. The fake torch and book she held completed her statuesque appearance.

Half an hour into the party, Robin found himself standing with Starfire, Raven, Aqualad (who was wearing a long black leather overcoat and dark sunglasses, obviously going for the Neo look), Hotspot, and Argent. Cyborg had wandered off towards the food several minutes before. Robin was doing his best to appear interested in the odd Atlantean anecdote that Aqualad was telling, thinking it was at least an improvement over endless sheep jokes.

"...so the squid puts down the lobster, and says..." Aqualad trailed off, not finishing his sentence.

Robin noticed the strange little smile on Aqualad's face, and the way the Atlantean seemed to be looking directly over his shoulder. Curious as to what had caught his attention, Robin turned. Standing right behind him was...

"Hello, Robin. It has been quite some time, hasn't it?"

* * *

Cyborg stood in line, surveying the resplendent bounty before him. Granted, the fact that it was all arranged neatly on a faux corpse was a little odd, but it did nothing to diminish it's appeal to a very hungry teenage male. 

After piling his plate dangerously high, he made his way carefully to one of the small round tables that were scattered about. He had just begun to eat when a gloved hand reached from over his shoulder and plucked a cube of cheese from the plate.

Cyborg turned in indignation, ready to scold whoever was stealing his food. "Hey! That's mine. There's plenty more..." He trailed off at the sight before him, choking on the mass of food in his mouth.

Standing behind him, slowly chewing the purloined cheese and grinning at him was Jinx. She was dressed from head to toe in skin tight black leather. It appeared to be some sort of one-piece bodysuit, the long sleeves extending to the wrist and the leggings disappearing into the high, stiletto boots that rose to just below the knee. Matching gloves covered her hands. Her hair, still shockingly pink, was down, cascading below her shoulders. The black mask covering her eyes did little to hide the mischievous gleam in them. "Careful. It would be a terrible shame for a world famous literary character to be killed off by a cocktail weenie."

After a moment of hacking coughs, Cyborg had recovered enough to speak. "Jinx? Your clothes... you came as... You're Catwoman!"

Jinx raised an eyebrow as her smile widened. "Uh, yeah, no shit, Sherlock."

"But..."

"C'mon, you didn't really expect me to come dressed as a good guy, did you?"

Cyborg, his initial shock diminished a bit, gave a slight chuckle. "Well, to be honest, I wasn't really expecting you to show up at all."

Jinx sat in one of the empty chairs, taking the opportunity to snatch another bit of food as she did so, and shrugged lightly. "Yeah, me neither. I was pretty shocked that I was even invited."

"You shouldn't be. You're one of us now, a Titan." Cyborg smiled as he eyed her outfit. "Even if you don't look like it right this minute."

Jinx fixed him with a predatory stare. "You don't like the way I look?"

"I, uh..."

"Well?" She leaned towards him across the table, closing the distance between them, holding his gaze. "You don't think I look nice?" Her voice had changed, somehow. It was deeper, huskier.

Cyborg gulped nervously, ignoring the bead of sweat running down his brow, unable to break eye contact with her. "Uh, I didn't say that."

Jinx smiled sweetly. "So what are you saying?"

"Um...'

"Yes?"

"Uh, well, you look very, um..."

Cyborg was saved from having to answer by a sudden uproar in the middle of the room. Finally looking away from her, he jumped up as he heard Robin yell, "Titans Go!" He rushed towards the battle cry, throwing one more quick glance at Jinx. "Sorry, gotta go, talk to ya later!"

Jinx, a bit annoyed that her fun had been interrupted, stood as well. Following in his wake at a much slower pace, she mumbled to herself.

"Lucky bastard."

* * *

Robin gave a loud shriek, jumping high in the air. When he landed, he had dropped his hoof-gloves and had a staff whirling ferociously in his hands. With a single shout of, "Titans Go!" he launched himself at his long time nemesis. 

Slade frantically dodged the spinning staff, backing up slowly as he did so. "Robin, stop it! Dude, chill out already!"

Robin pressed his attack, finally forcing Slade to trip over one of the makeshift graves. Standing over his enemy, Robin raised his staff for the finishing blow. Before it could descend, though, he was grabbed roughly from behind. Struggling against his captors, Robin screamed, "Release me! Titans Go! Titans Go!"

Once he was several feet away from Slade, the unknown assailants behind him stopped dragging him, content to simply hold him in one place. Robin looked desperately around. "It's Slade! Help me stop him. We have to stop Slade!" Everywhere he was met with amused stares, sometimes even outright laughter, but no one moved to help him or made any attempt to capture Slade.

Flushing in rage, Robin stopped struggling. "Oh, I see. You're all on his side. You've all been working with him from the beginning. This was all just an elaborate trap. TRAITORS!!"

Slade stepped in front of Robin. "Chill, Robin, it's just me." He reached up and removed the mask.

Robin watched in confusion. "Speedy? You're Slade?" His eyes narrowed dangerously. "I should have known. I never trusted you. I will stop you. I will take you down!"

Speedy rolled his eyes. "Calm down, man. I am not Slade, ok. It's just a costume. We are at a costume party. At least, I hope that's the reason you're dressed like Lambchop."

Robin reddened as everyone burst out laughing. After taking a moment to wrap his mind around the fact that Speedy was not, in fact, Slade, he was struck by another thought. Pointing his staff at Speedy, he said accusingly, "Where did you get that costume? And the mask?"

Speedy pushed the staff carefully to one side. "Geez, put that thing back wherever you pulled it from. I got the stuff from Beastboy."

Robin twirled the staff once more, collapsing it and putting it away too quickly for anyone to see where exactly he had it stashed. It is something that is probably better left unknown. He shrugged away from Starfire and Aqualad, taking the hoof-gloves he had dropped from Raven, and took a step closer to Speedy. "Beastboy? You mean this is from the evidence room?"

The crowd around the two, seeing that the fun was apparently over, began to disperse, going back to whatever they had been doing before the ruckus started, leaving Speedy, Aqualad, Robin, Starfire, Raven, and a newly arrived Cyborg and Jinx standing together.

Speedy shrugged. "I guess. He didn't really say where they came from, he just let me borrow them."

Robin's brow furrowed. "Why would he do that? He knows he's not supposed to touch that stuff."

"Yeah, well, he kinda owed me a favor."

Before Robin could make further inquiries, he was interrupted by a deep, familiar voice. "Your reflexes are still good. You haven't been slacking off in training, at least."

Robin turned to the speaker and found himself mask-to-cowl with his long time mentor. "Batman!"

The Dark Knight continued with a significant glance at his attire. "You're choice in costumes leaves more than a little to be desired, though."

Robin ducked his head in embarrassment, mumbling something unintelligible in reply. Starfire stepped up next to him. "There is nothing wrong with Robin's costume. At least he has fully embraced the earthly tradition and is wearing one."

Starfire's statement brought to everyone's attention the fact that Batman was not wearing a costume. Or at least nothing that he didn't wear everyday. He was wearing his normal cape and cowl Batsuit.

Batman gave a tiny smirk. "But I am wearing a costume."

Aqualad, pointing out the obvious, said, "You're dressed as Batman."

"Yes. You're point?"

Cyborg said, "But you are Batman!"

"Exactly. Which means it's the perfect costume for me." Batman turned to Raven and gave a slight nod of his head. "Raven seems to have had the same idea. Great minds think alike."

Raven tilted her head in acknowledgment.

Surveying the group again, Batman stopped when he saw Jinx. "I have to admit, though, you did very well, Jinx. You're costume is very authentic."

Jinx smiled at the compliment. "A little dated, maybe, but she wasn't exactly going to give me one of her current ones."

Everyone stared at her in silence. Jinx looked around at them innocently. "What?"

Before anyone could respond, someone else joined them. "Hey, Titans. Nice party you've got here."

All heads turned towards the newcomer. Robin's jaw dropped in disbelief. Starfire smiled widely. Raven simply raised an eyebrow. Cyborg, Aqualad, Speedy, and Jinx all burst into laughter. Even Batman had a tiny smile on his face.

Flash looked down at his costume. "What? You guys don't like my new threads?"

Robin, still in shock, said, "But... you... that's..."

Starfire clapped her hands together. "Friend Flash, it is a most wonderful costume!"

Robin said, "He...it's..."

Cyborg, leaning against Speedy as they propped each other up in their mirth, said, "Oh, man, the hair! Look at the hair!"

Robin, finally collecting himself, shouted, "THAT"S MY COSTUME!"

Flash was, indeed, dressed as the Boy Wonder. He was wearing Robin's crime-fighting costume. The shirt, tights, cape, mask, gloves, utility belt, and steel toed boots all looked identical to what Robin wore on a daily basis. The only thing even slightly different was Flash's hair. The color was right. His hair shone a deep ebony black, so dark in appearance that it was obvious it had recently been dyed. It was the style that was slightly off. More than slightly, actually. It was not even remotely similar to Robin's wild, spiky coif. Flash's hair was flattened down firmly on his head, tidily combed to one side in a rigidly straight part.

Flash smiled at the teen, his thumbs hooked behind his utility belt. "Hey, calm down. It's not like I borrowed your underwear, right? Besides, when I heard that Bats here was gonna come as himself, I figured he needed his trusty sidekick."

Robin pointed a hoof at Flash. "Don't call me that. And where did you get the costume?"

"Batman took me down to the Batcave. There were tons of extras there."

Robin flashed a glare at Batman as Flash continued. "It didn't really fit, but the old British guy made a few alterations for me. He even helped me with my hair. You know, he makes some pretty awesome cookies, too, even if he does call them 'biscuits'."

As everyone else congratulated Flash on a great costume, Robin muttered something under his breath that sounded suspiciously like, "Et tu, Alfred?" Batman couldn't help but chuckle.

Turning his attention back to Robin, Flash said, "Look, I can even do you,"

Robin looked up in horror. "You can 'do me'?"

Flash nodded. "Yep. Watch this."

Flash moved slightly away from the group as they all silently observed in curiosity. Unfortunately for the real Robin, everyone else in the vicinity had also turned to watch.

Standing to the side, Flash struck his version of a heroic pose. He stood with his chest puffed out, hands on his hips, staring off in the distance. After holding the stance for a moment, he suddenly trotted back to the group and frantically grabbed Batman by the arm, speaking in a high, squeaky voice. "Holy Vienna Sausages, Batman! The buffet is running out of food! To the Batcave!"

Robin flushed hotly as the entire room burst into laughter. "I don't talk like that!"

Flash, basking in the attention, bowed to the crowd in general. "Thank you, thank you. I'll be here all night. Now, if you'll excuse me, I really am going to check out that buffet." And he bounded happily towards the food.

Watching him go, Robin crossed his arms in a pout. Glaring back at his smirking friends, he reiterated, " I don't talk like that!"

Cyborg's smile only widened. "Sure, Rob, you just keep telling yourself that."

"I don't!"

Aqualad rubbed his chin in thought. "I don't know. It sounded pretty accurate to me. What do you think, Speedy?"

Speedy laughed again. "Oh, definitely. For a minute there I completely forgot that Lambchop here was the real Robin."

Before Robin could defend himself, a loud screeching noise filled the hall. Everyone in the room winced at the auditory assault and fell mute as they turned towards the stage from which it originated. Even the music that had been playing was now silent.

Superman stood on the stage with a microphone in his hand, smiling at the crowd. "Sorry about that, folks, but I was just handed a message. Could Raven of the Teen Titans please come up on stage."

* * *

**A/N:** Happy Halloween! Er, belatedly, anyways. At least they finally made it to the party. Only one more chapter to go, in which all will be revealed. 

Describing clothing is not really my strong point, so I hope everyone was able to envision all the characters and their costumes. Obviously I still have a few left to describe in the next chapter. (Yes, you will find out what BB and Raven's costumes are.) If I had even the tiniest speck of artistic ability, I would draw a few of my favorite scenes from this story and post them somewhere, but since I don't, you will have to use your imaginations. (I can only do stick figures, and even those inevitably end up a little crooked.)

To be honest, this chapter turned out much more, er, Robin-centric than I originally planned. Not that there's anything wrong with that. In fact, based on reviews I have received for this and other stories, I don't think anyone really minds seeing him taken down a peg every now and then.

Also, I'm not really sure where the little Cyborg/Jinx scene came from. I've never written anything with them before, and it's completely unnecessary to the plot. I had actually finished the chapter when I realized that it was pretty much just a continuous block of text with no real breaks, so I thought a little cutaway scene would help the flow a bit and that's what grew from there.

I have started working on the last chapter, and will try to update as quickly as possible. Thank you very much to everyone who has taken the time to read the story so far, especially to those of you who review. It is greatly appreciated.

Thanks again!

Coeus


	5. The Plan

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Teen Titans.

**Never Say Never**

**Chapter 5: The Plan**

_Superman stood on the stage with a microphone in his hand, smiling at the crowd. "Sorry about that, folks, but I was just handed a message. Could Raven of the Teen Titans please come up on stage."_

* * *

_Tuesday, October 31, 2006_

_Zero Hour_

Raven froze. All around her heads turned, eyes searching, and people stared. She couldn't stop her hands from pulling her cloak more tightly around herself, and lowered her head to sink her face deeper into the shadows of her hood. She wasn't sure what was going on, but she knew without a doubt that she had never agreed to do anything on stage. Any stage. Ever.

She made no move towards the front of the room. After a moment, Starfire placed a hand on her shoulder. "Raven, I believe you have been summoned to the stage."

Raven stood quietly, feeling a bit like how she imagined a just unearthed, never-before-seen, thousands-of-years-old mummy-on-exhibit-for-the-first-time must feel. It seemed that every eye in the room was trained on her. Center of attention was not a position she particularly relished.

Not receiving a response, Starfire tried again. "Raven..."

Raven shrugged her hand off, shaking her head. "There is no reason for me to be on stage."

Cyborg looked nervously around. "Uh, Raven, everyone's kinda starin'."

"Oh? Really? I hadn't noticed."

"C'mon, Rae..."

"No."

Robin, relieved to find anything that might take attention from him for awhile, stepped towards Raven, pitching his voice to a low whisper, and said, "Raven, the invitation said that one of the reasons for this party was to introduce all the new Titans to everyone. That's probably what they want you to do."

Raven eyed him suspiciously. "Why do I have to do it? You're our fearless leader."

"I am not going up there dressed like this! Besides, you're in uniform. You're the only one of us who actually looks like a Teen Titan right now."

"That's stupid. Any of us could do it, it doesn't matter how we're dressed."

Robin crossed his hooves stubbornly. "Superman said you, and you are in uniform, so you are the one doing it."

Raven glared. "No, I'm not."

"Fine. Rather than you taking 5 minutes to go up and introduce everyone, we'll just stand here for the rest of the night while every superhero in the world stares at us. I don't imagine the party could last more than 3 or 4 more hours. It should be fun."

Raven glanced around the room. No one had lost interest and turned away. They were all still watching, waiting for her to go up on stage, many now whispering to those around them. She looked back at Robin. He had his jaw clenched in his "I'm going to be a stubborn jackass about this" way.

With a growl of frustration, Raven finally conceded. "Fine. I'll do it, but I'm only doing it under protest."

Robin nodded. "Duly noted."

As she left her immediate circle of friends, Cyborg called out encouragingly, "Don't worry, Rae. How bad could it be?"

Raven made her way towards the stage, pulling her cloak firmly around her. The crowd of superheros parted before her and closed behind, as if she were surrounded by a large, invisible bubble that none could penetrate. She walked up the steps to the empty stage, Superman having recently vacated it, and stood watching the crowd. There were still many whispered conversations going on, a low, constant noise that sounded like a gentle summer rain.

She cleared her throat quietly before raising her voice to address the assembled mass. "Um, hello, everyone. I'm Raven, of the Teen Titans. I guess I'm supposed to intro..."

**WHOOOOOOOSH!!!!!!**

A sudden, inexplicable gust of wind blew by Raven, tugging at her cloak. It was gone as quickly as it arrived, leaving behind only a slight yellow, red, and green blur across her vision and a chill down her spine. Somehow, though, the strange wind seemed to have silenced everyone in the room. They were all staring at her, eyes wide, mouths hanging open but not making a sound.

Raven found the abrupt change in volume and expression throughout the room more than a little disconcerting. Her hands seemed to move on their own as they gripped her cloak more tightly around her form. Or, at least they tried. It took several seconds of futile grasping before it finally registered in her brain that something wasn't quite right. Something very, very important. She looked down, hoping against all hope that her hands were lying, that she would not see what she knew she would.

Her cloak was gone. She was no longer wearing her cloak. Her cloak was not there. She was entirely without cloak. Completely and utterly cloakless. No matter how her mind phrased it, it didn't stop being true. She had no cloak. She was at a party, on a stage, in front of everyone, without a cloak, wearing...

The costume Raven was wearing was, of course, purchased by Starfire. Given that Starfire, as a Tamaranian, has a sense of style considerably, er, less modest, than Raven, it seemed that the costume, in regards to Raven, was something to which the phrase "never caught dead in" would very much apply. Yet there Raven stood, undeniably alive (no matter how much she might wish otherwise at the moment), staring down at herself in shock, wearing it.

The costume basically consisted of a bikini. The top was outlined with gold tubing surrounding the red material. The bottom was styled the same, but had a rectangular piece of material extending down the front and back to give the appearance of a very long loincloth. On one arm she wore a metal armband. Starfire, having done a bit of internet research, had even styled Raven's hair into what appeared to be two cinnabuns on the sides of her head. Raven, stoic empath, heroic crimefighter, daughter of Trigon the Terrible, was dressed as Slave Girl Princess Leia.

Naturally, all of this registered to Raven in a matter of seconds, so when she raised her brightly blushing face towards the crowd once more, they were all still gawking in stunned, silent disbelief. The silence was almost stifling, until...

"Holy hottie half-demon, Batman."

Raven's head snapped towards the awestruck voice as she crossed her arms, trying to cover herself as much as possible. Standing on the side of the stage, where he had most decidedly not been a few seconds earlier, was Flash. He, like everyone else in the room, was gaping openly at Raven. In his hands, was a blue, hooded, cloak.

Raven's face flushed darker, her eyes taking on a reddish cast. "Flash, I better have my cloak back two minutes ago, or else!"

Flash had to give his head a small shake and blink a few times before he could respond. "Huh? Oh, yeah. Sorry, but I can't do that."

"Excuse me?"

"Not gonna happen. Not yet, anyways."

"FLASH!"

"Sorry."

The crowd, still silently stunned, watched the conversation with interest, their heads moving back and forth between speakers like spectators at a tennis match.

Raven, apparently done with talking, raised her arms towards the speedster. "Azarath, Metrion, Zinmmfft..."

She was abruptly cut off in mid-chant, a glowing field of green energy besieging her, pinning her arms to her sides and gagging her mouth. Raven, and everyone else in the room, glanced around for the source.

All eyes landed on the Green Lantern. He was ascending the steps on the opposite side of the stage from Flash. He was dressed in a black tuxedo, with a red cape around his shoulders. In one hand he held a red rose. Half of his face was covered by a white mask, completing his costume as the Phantom of the Opera. His free hand, and the ring on it, were pointed at Raven.

Raven glared murderously at him. Green Lantern, slightly abashed, could only shrug. Raising his hand up in front of his face, he quipped, "Keep your hand at the level of your eyes?" Raven was not amused.

Before anyone could react, a new sound broke the silence. From the speakers scattered around the hall could be heard the strumming of a guitar. The collected heroes looked around in confusion, seeking the origin of the music. After a few seconds, everyone's attention was once again focused on the stage.

It took Raven a moment to realize that they were no longer staring at her. They were staring passed her. Craning her neck as far as her magical bonds would allow, she caught movement from the corner of her eye. A figure had stepped from behind the curtain on the stage behind her, hard to see in the deep shadows at the back of the stage, and was moving towards her. The music continued as a spotlight turned on, brightly illuminating the person, a mixture of amused whispers and chuckles greeting him from the crowd.

Finally, the person stepped next to Raven, giving her a good look at him for the first time.

It was Beastboy. He stood next to her, strumming a guitar. He wore a black leather jacket with silver studs on it. Under the jacket he had a plain white t-shirt. The tight blue jeans he was wearing were ripped and paint stained. Mirrored aviator glasses covered his eyes, and he had the appearance of a rough, 5 o'clock shadow on his face. He had a black glove on his right hand, his left hand bare. On his feet he wore black cowboy boots with silver capped toes and heals. From his left ear dangled a gold cross.

He continued to play, shaking his hips along with the music. That's when he started singing. Her eyes widened in disbelief and her face flushed, a small gurgling noise trying to escape her throat, while the rest of the crowd started cheering and catcalling, most of them moving towards the stage as though it were a concert, some even singing the words along with him.

_"Well I guess it would be nice_

_If I could touch your body_

_I know not everybody_

_Has got a body like yo__u."_

_"But I've got to think twice_

_Before I give my heart away_

_And I know all the games you play_

_Because I play them too."_

* * *

Most of the crowd had moved towards the stage. Not all, though. A small group actually seemed to be trying to distance themselves from it. Not coincidentally, this group consisted of the people in the room who knew Raven the best. 

Robin, Starfire, Cyborg, Jinx, Batman, Aqualad, and Speedy were the first to start moving away. They were quickly joined by Bumblebee and Herald (who had dressed to match in Marc Antony and Cleopatra costumes) and Mas and Menos.

While others in the crowd were laughing and whistling and singing, this group was silent. They stood agape at the spectacle on the stage. The changeling was gyrating wildy and singing, the empath blushing furiously. None in the group knew what to say.

Robin's mouth was working silently, searching for words but finding none. Starfire was still smiling, but it was a nervous smile. Batman watched with a calculating look, as if he were trying to find some way for 2 plus 2 to equal 5. Jinx was smirking like the cat that swallowed the canary, obviously relishing Raven's discomfort. Everyone else stood in shock, mouths hanging open.

Cyborg was the first to make an attempt at vocalization. "He...what...where..." He gave his head a quick shake, trying to make sense of what he was seeing. His mind, cybernetic or not, was having trouble processing things. Rather than try to understand the scene as a whole, he seemed to latch onto a few of the minor details. "But... why...who... Since when can he play the guitar? And what's with the beard? I didn't even know he shaved yet!"

His questions shook the rest from their collective stupor. Speedy, never taking his eyes off the stage, answered absently. "That's the favor he owed me. He called me a few months ago and asked me to teach him to play."

Bumblebee, looking slightly discomposed, answered his other question. "The beard is fake. It's eyeliner pencil."

Robin, tearing his gaze from the stage, turned to the Titans East accusingly. "You mean you guys knew about this?"

Speedy shook his head violently. "No! No, I had nothing to do with it. I just taught him to play the guitar. He didn't tell me why. He just told me to keep it a secret. I guess now I know why."

Bumblebee also disavowed that notion. "I didn't know either. He just called me late last night and asked if I could show up a little early and help with his costume. I did hair and makeup. The boy was clueless. He was using magic marker on his face."

Batman looked at Robin. "Did the Titans plan this party?"

"No, it was the Justice League. It said so on the invitations. Why do people keep asking that?"

Batman shook his head slowly in disbelief, chuckling to himself.

Robin glanced around at the rest of the group, but they were as confused as he was. "What is it, Batman? Why are you laughing?"

"Because he surprised me, and I am not easily surprised. It looks like my files will need some updating after tonight."

"Surprised you? Who? Beastboy?"

"Yes, Beastboy."

"How?"

"He planned it."

"What? The party?"

"No. Well, yes, the party. But everything else too. He planned it all, and no one had a clue."

The whole group was now watching Batman with interest, the stage forgotten for now. Noticing their slightly blank expressions, Batman continued. "He planned it all. He got Speedy to start teaching him guitar a few months ago." Batman looked at Speedy. "When was that? June? July?"

Speedy nodded. "Something like that."

"Ok," said Batman, "then, in September, he contacted the League about a party that the Titans wanted to throw. He convinced Superman to have the League host it, so he could put our name on the invitations and there would be a better turnout. At least, he said that was the reason."

Cyborg looked around at the room. "You mean he did the whole party by himself? The food, the decorations, the invitations, everything?"

Batman nodded. "It would appear so. At some point, he recruited Flash and Green Lantern to help him out. I can understand Flash, but I'm not sure how he got GL to cooperate. Once we got here, he gave a note to Superman, calling Raven to the stage. He was probably hiding backstage since the party started. The only thing I can't figure out is how he made sure Raven would come, and how he got her into that costume."

Robin blushed slightly, clearing his throat. "Uh, yeah, about that first part. Beastboy kinda, um, blackmailed me. He made me make her come."

"And the costume?"

"That I don't know. I had nothing to do with that."

Starfire raised her hand sheepishly. "I believe the costume was my doing. Beastboy mentioned many times that dressing up was a very important part of the festival of Halloween. I bought Raven a costume and convinced her to wear it."

Robin looked at her in surprise. "Starfire, why would you choose that costume?"

"It was the only one remaining at the shop in Raven's size. There were no other choices."

Batman asked, "And how did you decide what shop to go to?"

"Beastboy recommended it."

Batman nodded. "It all points back to Beastboy."

Cyborg put one hand to his head, as though it pained him, and waved the other around as he spoke. "Hold up, hold up. Are you sayin' that BB, our BB, the annoying little tofu-lovin' grass stain, learned the guitar, planned this whole party, convinced the Justice League to host it, sent out invitations, blackmailed Robin, tricked Starfire, did his own costume, asked Bee for help with it, and did God knows what to GL and Flash, just so he could stand up on stage in front of everyone we know and sing some '80's song to Raven in her skivvies? Is that what you're tryin' to tell me? But thats just, thats..."

"Totally brilliant," said Batman with a smile. "It took months of work and planning. It was well conceived, detailed, and executed perfectly. Not what I would expect from the culprit of the sporks incident. My files definitely need updating."

Aqualad looked at the rest of the group. "Uh, yeah. It's definitely the most convoluted suicide attempt I've ever heard of. He has to know that she is going to kill him, right? I mean, look at her."

They all turned towards the stage, where Beastboy was still singing and dancing, and Raven was glaring venomously at him, a homicidal gleam in her eye.

Jinx continued to smirk. "Oh, I don't think she hates it as much as you think she does."

Everyone looked at her, clearly skeptical. She continued. "C'mon, a cute guy goes to obviously elaborate plans so that he can serenade her on stage in front of a huge group of people, and he sings a song at least partly about what a great body she has. Trust me, somewhere deep down she is just a little bit flattered."

Aqualad asked, "So, she's not going to kill him?"

Jinx raised an eyebrow as she answered, "What, are you nuts? He's a dead man walking."

As the song started to wind down, the group turned their attention back to the stage. Cyborg leaned in towards Jinx slightly and whispered, "You think Beastboy's cute?" Jinx rolled her eyes and gave him a shove.

Batman tapped Robin on the shoulder and then stepped a little ways from the group. Robin followed his mentor.

Once they were out of earshot of the rest, Batman crossed his arms and looked sternly at his sheepish protege. "Blackmail?"

Robin dropped his head, blushing slightly.

Batman said, "He got you on tape, didn't he?"

Robin nodded.

"Let me guess. Towel, showercap, singing into your toothbrush?"

Robin nodded again.

"It was _Genie in a Bottle_ again, wasn't it?"

Robin mumbled something unintelligible.

"What was that?"

Robin took a deep breath, answering a little louder. "No. _Oops I did it Again_."

The Dark Knight could only shake his head.

* * *

_"Before this river_

_Becomes an ocean_

_Before you throw my heart back on the floor._

_Oh baby, I reconsider_

_My foolish notion_

_Well I need someone to hold me_

_But I'll wait for something more._

_Yes I've gotta have faith..."_

With a final strum of the guitar, Beastboy finished, facing the crowd with one fist thrust in the air, basking in the cheers and applause. After a few moments, he turned from them and back to stand right in front of Raven. With a big, cheesy grin, he asked, "So, what did you think?"

"Mmmffmmgf"

Beastboy chuckled. "Oh, yeah!" With a nod to Green Lantern, the green power gagging Raven dissipated (though the bands holding her were still there) and she could speak, albeit through tightly gritted teeth.

"You. Are. Dead."

Beastboy laughed again, obviously not feeling threatened. "Aw, c'mon, Raven. Why would you want to hurt little ol' me?"

Raven's eyes narrowed dangerously. "Why? WHY? Because you humiliated me!"

"Humiliated, huh? That's just a fancy word for embarrassed, right?"

"What are you talking about?"

Beastboy's grin broadened as he took a step closer and leaned in towards her. "Never say never, Raven."

Raven's eyes widened in sudden realization as a barely remembered conversation from the summer tickled her memory. "You mean..."

"Yup. I guess you really can be embarrassed, huh?"

Raven would have lunged for him, if not for the magical green bonds still restraining her. "Congratulations, Beastboy, you're dead."

Beastboy chuckled again. "Nope, that's all part of my brilliance. GL here agreed to hold you for five minutes while I make a clean getaway."

"He did?"

"Yup."

Raven turned towards the Green Phantom. "Five minutes from when, exactly?"

Green Lantern shrugged. "I agreed to five minutes, so I figure it's five minutes from when I started."

Beastboy continued to smile for a few seconds before that statement sunk in. With a quick doubletake at Green Lantern, Beastboy's mouth dropped open, all traces of his earlier confidence gone. "What? It was supposed to be five minutes after the song was over!"

Green Lantern smiled widely. "I agreed to five minutes, and like I told you before, I never go back on my word."

"But that means I only have..."

Green Lantern glanced at his watch. "About 35 more seconds, and counting."

The smirk on Raven's face could only be called evil. "Don't worry, Beastboy, I'll be sure to kill you slowly."

"Eep!" Panic filled Beastboy's eyes. Dropping the guitar, he ran to the edge of the stage. Just as he was about to leap into the crowd and try to get away, he stopped, looked back at Raven, and then ran back over to her.

She raised an eyebrow. "Decided to give up now?"

Beastboy didn't meet her gaze, chuckling nervously and rubbing his neck with one hand. "Heh, no. I was just thinking, you're pretty much as pissed off as it's possible to be, huh?"

"I think that's a safe assumption."

Beastboy glanced up at her. "Yeah, that's what I thought. I guess there's no reason not to do this then."

Before Raven could question what he meant, he leaned up and kissed her firmly on the mouth. The kiss only lasted a few seconds, but it was not exactly a chaste greeting between friends. As quickly as he started, he pulled away, ran offstage and out the building.

Raven's mind didn't seem to work properly. She just stood there, staring at his retreating form, stunned by his actions. It wasn't until she reached up with one hand to touch her lips that she even realized that the glowing bonds had dropped and she could move again. Once she did, though, she flushed once more in mortification. Everyone was still staring at her, some in shock, but most with smug, knowing grins.

Shaking herself into action, she turned furiously towards the Flash, who had begun to slowly edge away.

Seeing that he was caught, he stopped. "Uh, let's not do anything hasty now, Ra...AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH..."

A flick of her hands sent him flying off the stage. The cloak he had been holding was again in her grasp and she quickly draped it back across her shoulders, hiding her form once more. She turned towards the Green Lantern, already beginning her mantra, but stopped when she saw that he was encased in a glowing green bubble.

"You're lucky, Lantern, that right now I have a changeling to kill. Just remember that you owe me big."

The Green Lantern nodded. "Yeah, I kind of expected that."

"Azerath, Metrion, Zinthos!" Raven disappeared in a swirl of dark energy, presumably to seek the complete annihilation of her friend.

A groaning from the back of the room attracted everyone's attention. They all watched as the Flash extricated himself from the large punch bowl. As soon as he was on his feet, everyone burst into laughter.

Raven had not only retrieved her cloak and flung him across the room, she had also managed to separate him from his clothing. He stood, hair still immaculately parted, dripping with punch, in nothing but his Robin mask and a pair of very tight black bikini briefs with a large Batman logo on the front. After looking down at himself, he walked back towards Robin.

"Ok, so I lied. I borrowed your underwear too."

* * *

**A/N:** Finally finished! I'm not totally crazy about this chapter, but I have been tinkering with it for several days and can't figure out how to improve it, so decided to go ahead and post it. I hope everyone enjoyed the conclusion, and that it wasn't a disappointment after 4 chapters of build-up and waiting. 

Once again, my sincere apologies for the the atrocious costume descriptions. I think I identified them all, so you can search for a picture if you want a better idea of what I am trying to describe.

I realize that Beastboy's costume and the song are pretty dated. (George Michael and "Faith". Take a look at the music video if you want to see the clothes I was trying to describe him wearing.) Like I said in chapter 1, I began writing this during an airport layover. I decided to do a Halloween costume party story, and was making a list of characters and costumes. The lounge my parents and I were sitting in had a television that was on classic MTV or VH1 or something like that. The video for "Faith" came on, and I was struck with a vision of Beastboy dressed like that, singing the song to Raven, and thought it was pretty hilarious. The rest of the story grew from there.

Kudos to Tammy Tamborine (and to anyone else who did) for correctly guessing Raven's costume back in chapter 3.

I would like to say thank you very much to everyone who has taken the time to read and review the story. It is always appreciated, and I will be sure to reply to all signed reviews.

Thanks again!

Coeus


	6. Epilogue

**A/N:** Yeah, I know, I said the story was over back when I posted the last chapter, but I have had a ton of requests asking for some indication of Beastboy's fate. I found myself with a little free time, so decided to go ahead and take a crack at it and see if I could possibly come up with something that offers a bit more closure. I wasn't really sure where to go with this, as it was not in my original plans for the story, so I hope you enjoy it. If not, then pretend I never posted it and that the story ended at chapter 5. Either way, let me know what you think.

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Teen Titans.

**Never Say Never**

**Epilogue**

_Thursday, November 2, 2006_

_1:54 p.m._

Robin stepped into the living room and glanced around. The room was mostly empty. The only other occupant was Cyborg, who was sitting on the couch and idly channel surfing. Robin walked into the kitchen and grabbed a bottle of water before making his way to the couch and flopping down to join his cybernetic teammate.

The Tower was very quiet. It had been very quiet for two days now. It was a little unnerving. The fallout from the events of the night of the party (even now, Robin shuddered as he remembered his humiliating evening) were not at all what he had expected. He would have been prepared for World War 3, or putting a certain changeling into witness protection, or even organizing the efforts of the Titans and Justice League as they tried to restrain a rampaging demon. None of that had happened, though, and the tower had been eerily quiet for the last two days.

Robin stared at the television, his wandering mind barely even registering the rapidly changing pictures; a monster truck, a coma patient, a painting palette, an apple peeler, a basketball game, each punctuated by a quiet _click_. Robin took a swig of his water and asked, "So, are Raven and Beastboy down at the mall again?"

Cyborg didn't turn his head or even pause in his channel flipping as he replied. "Yup."

Robin nodded. He had figured as much. "She's still pretty pissed off, huh?"

"Yup." _Click._ A newsroom.

"I bet Beastboy is really wishing a criminal would attack soon."

"Yup." _Click. _Two motorcycle cops.

"You been down there yet?"

"Yup." _Click. _A spinning wheel.

"Yeah, me too. It was hilarious."

"Yup." _Click. _A man and a woman arguing.

"Was it on the news again today?"

"Yup." _Click. _A courtroom.

"Wanna play some gamestation?"

Cyborg tossed the remote onto the coffee table and reached for a controller. "Yup."

* * *

_Thursday, November 2, 2006_

_2:00 p.m._

_BEEP-BEEP_

Beastboy looked at his chiming watch and verified that it was, indeed, two o'clock. With a sigh of relief he walked over to the fountain, glad that it was time for his break. Some of the people who had gathered around to watch groaned in disappointment, but most of them wandered off to continue their shopping, weaving around the other foot traffic of the Jump City Mall.

Beastboy ignored all of them, quickly slipping into his white, fluffy bathrobe and sitting on the edge of the fountain. He closed his eyes and tried to block out his surroundings, doing his best to relax in the 15 minutes he was allowed for a break. He had thought that today would be better, that he had grown used to everyone staring and laughing, to the huge logjam of people who gathered around the courtyard fountain to watch him. Of course, he had also thought that there would be fewer of them today, especially after the 6 o'clock news last night and this morning's front page of the paper. If anything, though, there were even more people, and he had not grown used to it. Not at all. It was still every bit as embarrassing.

He heaved another deep sigh as he opened his eyes, intending to go and get himself something to drink. He was stopped by a floating bottle of water that was encased in black energy and suspended directly in front of him. Grabbing the bottle, he glanced over at Raven.

She was still levitating there, a few feet away, with her eyes closed, meditating, just as she had been all day. Beastboy took a big gulp of water, his parched throat grateful for the soothing liquid as he continued to watch her. It was odd, really. Raven had been there by his side the whole time, ensuring that he follow through with his end of the bargain. Not that he would have tried to get out of it. As bad as this was, it was a lot better, and a lot less fatal, than some of the alternatives she had offered him when she had finally caught up with him on Halloween night. But she hadn't mocked him or made fun of him, she didn't watch him, or seem to enjoy it. She never even acknowledged that anything out of the ordinary was happening and never discussed the events of the Halloween party. She just meditated silently. But whenever Beastboy started to get a little thirsty, there was a bottle of water waiting for him. When he started to get hungry, there was a vegetarian friendly snack readily available. She even took him to the Tofu Palace for lunch, never mentioning what was going on. To be perfectly honest, if he set aside the abject humiliation she was putting him through, Beastboy thought that this was probably the nicest Raven had ever been to him...

"Time's up."

Beastboy jumped slightly, startled by the voice. His green eyes focused and he realized he was looking into a pair of amethyst ones. He quickly glanced away with a chuckle. "Heh, yeah. Guess I kinda spaced out for a minute."

Raven simply nodded once and closed her eyes again.

Beastboy took one last drink of water and started to stand up, but stopped and turned once more to Raven, suddenly feeling brave enough to ask the one question that had been nagging at his mind all day. "Hey, Raven?"

She didn't open her eyes as she replied. "Yes, Beastboy?"

Beastboy nervously rubbed the back of his neck. "Um, I was just kinda wonderin'..."

"Yes?"

"Are we coming back here tomorrow?"

"Yes."

"And the day after?"

"Yes."

Beastboy slowly stood up, preparing to take off the robe once more. "So, uh, are you planning to let me off the hook anytime soon?"

Raven opened her eyes again, staring at him intently. The silence stretched out between them, enough that Beastboy had begun to think she wouldn't answer, when she finally closed her eyes and responded. "No, Beastboy. Not for a very long time."

Beastboy watched her for a moment more. He was about to turn away when he saw the tiniest flicker of movement, something so miniscule that he had probably imagined it. It was almost as if the corners of Raven's mouth had twitched upwards in an almost imperceptible expression for the briefest of moments.

Beastboy couldn't help the small grin on his face as he fiinally shrugged off the robe, draping it across the edge of the fountain, and replied. "Yeah, that's cool."

He stepped away from the fountain and began.

People from all over the mall began moving back to the fountain, all wanting to see that strangest of sights. And they would all, at some point in their lives, tell the story of how they saw Beastboy, superhero changeling of the Teen Titans, inexplicably dancing around the fountain in the courtyard of the mall, moving smoothly and sinuously to the music, dressed up as none other than slave girl Princess Leia.

**THE END.**

(Really, this time.)


End file.
